The overall objective of this study is to determine the changes in gene expression responsible for the development of endstage heart failure. The first step will be to construct two interactive databases 1) for human heart, vascular and skeletal muscle samples and 2) for similar samples from rodent models of heart failure. Gwathmey, Inc has collected hearts and blood vessels, and all the corresponding medical records from human samples that are stored as paper copies only. The investigators propose to develop a database to aid in the management of the tremendous amount of medical information that is available with each human heart. The proposed approach will make it possible for us to access all patients' records according to diagnosis, age, gender, existing medical conditions, medications, race, serology, and other specific clinical tests. Also the investigators will create a database of commonly used rat models of heart failure for comparison. Similarly they will be able to recall heart samples from animal models based on age, gender, and severity of heart failure as well as cause of the heart disease. The human database will allow for continued expansion with an on-line update upon receiving new heart tissue that occurs on a weekly basis. The second goal of this study is to extract total and polyA RNA from all of the normal and diseased heart samples. Initially, the investigators intend to extract RNA from about 400 left ventricular control and myopathic human and rodent hearts that will represent the most common disease states (dilated, ischemic and hypertensive myopathies), as well as appropriate controls. The investigators will examine the quality, purity and quantity of RNA obtained and enter it into both databases so that they can keep a running log of the results. The human and rodent heart databases, in combination with the extensive collection of high quality RNA, will be an extremely valuable research tool and product available to the investigators and clients for innovative studies of differential gene expression during heart failure.